Planning my kids’ summer camp schedule is one of my least favorite things to do as a working mom. There are so many choices and it’s hard to know whether a camp is the right fit for your child and what to do if it’s not. Luckily we hit the jackpot with Galileo Summer Camp for our […]

In our house there are a few “bad” words that the kids are absolutely and completely forbidden to say, like “I hate,” “I can’t,” and “I’m bored.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t ever say say it – in other creative ways – or feel that way when we don’t have scheduled activities. How do […]

The joke around here is that our house could double as a shipping facility with all the packages continuously coming in and going out. But after heading back to work full-time, the freedom to shop in person just isn’t a luxury I enjoy anymore, so I am completely unapologetic about my dependency on online shopping and […]

If you thought DIY Batik Shirts were difficult to make – like I did before we tried this new activity – you are so wrong! Making Glue Resist Batik T-Shirts is actually super easy, super fun, and super cheap, especially if you already have glue and painting supplies handy. This is the perfect weekend activity you can […]

We just returned from one of our summer vacations and oh how much we will miss the good times together. To capture our memories, one of the things we do is a bedtime ritual called, “Review the Holiday,” where we recount the highlights of our vacation. A hands-on way to cement our happy memories is with […]

Hooray for vacation and stay at home days! Well, except for those days when the weather is too hot or too cold to get outside and run off all the extra energy from being cooped up. Even though we rotate toys – I hide stuffed animals in the attic and store birthday and holiday gifts in […]

Glitter, upcycling, and independent play: these are a few of my favorite things. When we received a box brimming with Glitter Glue, Painters Markers, School Glue and Glue Sticks from Elmer’s last weekend, I knew EXACTLY what we would do – get our craft on and create a homemade play town with items straight from […]

After our maiden voyage to Disneyland was such a magical success, we can’t wait to visit again. Short and sweet, here are our Top Ten Tips for Disneyland With Preschoolers. Don’t forget to check out our detailed post on Planning for Disneyland with Preschoolers, with tips on when to visit the park, what attractions not to […]

Disneyland is truly the happiest place on Earth. I hadn’t visited the park since 1987, so I was excited to take the kids (4 and 5 years old) on their maiden voyage, but I had no idea how absolutely magical the experience would be. Watching the children’s hearts nearly explode with joy was the best part […]

Keeping the kids occupied (meaning, not putting them in front of the TV and making sure they’re safe and not killing one another) while we prep dinner is sometimes challenging for us. A fun way to turn what can be a difficult time into an opportunity for learning is this simple Counting by Tens math […]

Have you been eyeing those cute little blue suitcases with green trim and wondering what’s inside? We got our chance to peek inside aLittle Passportssuitcase recently and we’re sharing what we found!

Make sure to stay tuned until the end of the post for a list of my fave resources for teaching preschoolers and kindergarteners about geography and social studies.

If you read the ABC’s of Raising a Thinking Child series, you know that teaching the kids about other cultures and the world beyond ours is very important to me, so I was thrilled to learn more about Little Passports last month after receiving one of their activity kits.

My daughter was super excited to get her own mail and even more delighted to find a map inside and a new suitcase for storing her favorite things.

Inside we found a world map, a passport with a place to add our photo and stamps from our world adventures, a postcard from Sam and Sofia – our two traveling companions, and an activity worksheet.

How Little Passports Works

Little Passports is a monthly subscription service (3, 6, 12, or monthly plans are available). You can choose either the Worldwide or the USA Edition and travel to a new state or a new country each month. Your child will receive a suitcase, map, an activity worksheet, stickers, photos, a postcard, “souvenirs”, and access to online games and activities.

Even though, the recommended age is between 5 and 12 years old, my 4 year old really liked trying to solve the worksheet puzzles about where Sam and Sofia would travel next, how to say hello in French, Mandarin, Japanese, and Italian, and figuring out how old Sam and Sofia are. Oh, and plotting her next big adventure!

She could work the online puzzles (we’re definitely a tech and computer family growing up here in the Silicon Valley and she’s been working a mouse since she was 18 months!), but we’ll have to wait to enjoy things like the trivia – which would be perfect for an older child.

To complement our world adventures, we’re also visiting these blogs and sites for more geography learning and activities…

A cool new FREE resource is PBS Teachers, which has a ton of lessons and classroom resources (you don’t have to be a teacher) that you can use at home. The Social Studies K through 2 page features maps, lessons, and learning ideas for you try out with your little ones.

You can also use this MeMetales Collage to click through to selected individual blog posts in Mama Smiles’ Exploring Geography series – just click on the photo you’d like to explore and you’ll be taken straight to the post.